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A U S T I N W A Y S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 | M O D E R N L U X U R Y . C O M
Mattie's at Austin's historic Green Pastures pays homage to
its heritage with fresh and diverse takes on the classics.
By Valerie Jarvie // Photography by Nick Simonite
THE GR ASS
IS GREENER
f you are one of the thousands
who have celebrated birthdays,
anniversaries, graduations and
weddings at Green Pastures over
the years, listen up: It's time
to return. If you have never
experienced a meal at the Austin
mainstay, you're in for a treat.
e historic property and one of
the grande dames of Austin hospitality has undergone
a splendid makeover. After closing for renovations, the
restaurant has reopened under a new name, Mattie's, in
honor of the legendary hostess who fi rst made the 19th
century house a place of warm welcome, and features a
stellar new chef and menu.
In 2015, Austin real estate developer Greg Porter
partnered with Jeff Trigger, president of La Corsha
Hospitality Group, to buy the property, a circa 1895
Victorian house set on 6 acres in the Bouldin Creek
neighborhood of South Austin. Trigger was the general
manager of Rosewood Mansion and e Adolphus Hotel
in Dallas for many years before relocating to Austin to
start La Corsha, a luxury hotel and restaurant management
fi rm whose local restaurants include both locations of chef
David Bull's Second Bar + Kitchen (and its upcoming site
at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport) and Boiler Nine
Bar + Grill.
La Corsha also oversaw the restoration of historic
locations such as Austin's e Driskill hotel, the St.
Anthony Hotel San Antonio and, most recently, the
landmark Stagecoach Inn restaurant in Salado.
e more the partners researched the history of Green
Pastures, the more enamored they became with its storied
From left: The lobby
at Green Pastures is
a warm welcome; a
Southern classic, the
bone-in pork chop
served with squash
and grilled okra.
past. e home was purchased in 1916 by Henry Faulk,
the son of a poor Alabama sharecropper. Henry Faulk had
moved to Austin, worked his way through e University
of Texas law school and become an acclaimed judge. He
and his wife, Martha "Mattie" Miner Faulk, were generous
folk who opened their big house to countless family and
friends, putting up travelers, college students, and women
and children who moved in while husbands fought in W WII.
Mattie, in particular, was known for her good works and
open-mindedness. e home was passed to a daughter,
Mary Faulk Koock, who opened a formal restaurant on the
ground fl oor in 1946. Mary carried on her parents' tradition
of hospitality, welcoming people of any creed or color to the
restaurant—18 years before desegregation, a time when this
wasn't the norm by a long stretch. Green Pastures became
a dining institution, hosting dinner, brunch and events for
more than a half-century.
Fast-forward to today. Porter and Trigger have completely
renovated the 12,000-square-foot house and additional event
space with the help of a design dream team: Emily Little
of Clayton + Little Architects and interior designer Joel
Mozersky. Stylish, midcentury-inspired furniture is accented
with Faulk family portraits and artifacts, set in a background
of soothing grays and blues. Patio space has been added under
F O O D & D R I N K
r e v i e w